Slipped Away
by Kylie-Chan
Summary: It has been one year since AVALANCHE defeated Sephiroth and Meteor. But as Cloud walks through Midgar, he thinks about Aeris and her sacrifice. A sort of sad songfic about Cloud and Aeris. It's my first one, I hope you like it.


Note:I do not own any FF7 characters as much as I wish I did. And the lyrics come from Avril Lavigne's 'Slipped Away.' Enjoy!

Slipped Away

Cloud walked down the streets of Midgar, surveying the repairs. He had to hand it to Reeve, it was going much faster than anyone had expected. It was taking a lot of work, but as Reeve said "At least it's only Midgar, and not the planet, that is in disrepair." He was right. And the only reason the planet was here now was because of one young woman, who had sacrificed herself to summon Holy, the ultimate white magic.

_**Na na, na na na, na na  
I miss you, miss you so bad  
I don't forget you, oh it's so sad  
I hope you can hear me  
I remember it clearly  
**_

Aeries Gainsborough. Cloud winced as the name ran though his mind. It hurt to think about Aeries. She had been so young, so full of life, and always talking about the future. Her hopes, her dreams…all shattered in one moment.

_**  
The day you slipped away  
Was the day I found it won't be the same   
Ooooh**_

Cloud remembered it well. She had been praying on the alter in the City of the Ancients, white materia in hand. He had stood over her, while she stared at him, eyes full of hope. Then in a swift motion, Sephiroth had dropped from somewhere overhead, his masamune poised to strike. Aeries didn't stop praying until she had been run through. **__**

Na na la la la na na  
I didn't get around to kiss you  
Goodbye on the hand  
I wish that I could see you again  
I know that I can't

Cloud remembered the look of surprise on her face, as her arms fell to her sides. The white materia had fallen out of her hands and into the lake. She fell forward on the masamune, her eyes closing for eternity. And he remembered the malicious smile that had formed on Sephiroth's face as he pulled the blade out. He had moved forward to catch Aeries before she hit the ground. He had silently pleaded for her to wake up, and he had felt the tears come to his eyes.**__**

Oooooh  
I hope you can hear me cause I remember it clearly  
The day you slipped away  
Was the day I found it won't be the same  
Ooooh

Sephiroth had laughed, obviously enjoying Cloud's pain. He had gone on about how he should be happy, as Aeries would soon be apart of him. But none of that had mattered to Cloud, as he held Aeries in his arms. The only thing he could think was that Aeries was gone. Sephiroth left soon after. It was then that Cloud walked out, going down to the Lake. He remembered the cold water drenching him from the waste down as he walked into it. When he had walked as far as he could, he let her go, watching her gently float down until she was no longer visible.**__**

I had my wake up  
Won't you wake up  
I keep asking why  
And I can't take it  
It wasn't fake  
It happened, you passed by

Cloud broke out of his reverie, sorrow washing through him. How had he let her die like that? He had just stood there and watched. He knew that it had happened too fast to stop, although it was all slow motion for him, but part of him still believed that he could have saved her somehow. He walked to the outskirts of the city, pulling out his PHS. He dialed a number, and was greeted by a scruffy voice.

_**Now your gone, now your gone  
There you go, there you go  
Somewhere I can't bring you back  
Now your gone, now your gone  
There you go, there you go,  
Somewhere your not coming back**_

"Hello? Who's this?"

"Cid? Hey…I need you to do a favor for me."

"Sure, what is it?"

"Can I borrow the Highwind for awhile?"

"Well, yeah, but why do ya need it?"

"I need to go on a little trip, and I promise I'll bring it back as soon as I'm done."

"Hell, I trust you. But what kinda trip are ya taking?"

"I…I'm going to go see her."**__**

The day you slipped away  
Was the day i found it won't be the same noo..  
The say you slipped away  
Was the day that i found it won't be the same oooh...

Cid had dropped the Highwind off in a small clearing near Midgar. He had wished Cloud a safe journey, and Cloud had thanked him again for lending him the ship. Now he was sitting in the cockpit, and the northern most island came into view. He brought the airship closer to land, until he saw it. The City of the Ancients. He landed outside of it, and walked out. It had been awhile since he had been here. But he still knew the way to the lake. As he neared it, his stomach began to lurch. He calmed himselfand walked forward into the water. It was cold, but he didn't notice. He stopped as he finally got to the spot where he had laid Aeries to rest. **__**

Nah nah, nah nah nah, nah nah  
I miss you

"It's been a year now," Cloud said softly, speaking to no one in particular. "I haven't forgotten though. I'll never forget you, I promise." Then he held out a bouquet of pink flowers he had taken with him, and gently set it down on the water.

"Aeries…" he whispered softly. "I miss you."

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So what do you think of my first songfic? I hope you didn't find it TOO terrible. Lol. But seriously, I really did enjoy writing this. The idea came to me when I was listening to "Slipped Away', and I thought it would make a great songfic for someone who had lost a loved one. Cloud and Aeries instantly flashed through my mind, and voila! This is the result. I hope you liked it. Please review.


End file.
